The importance of replication in wildlife research

Journal of Wildlife Management

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Abstract

Wildlife ecology and management studies have been widely criticized for deficiencies in design or analysis. Manipulative experiments--with controls, randomization, and replication in space and time--provide powerful ways of learning about natural systems and establishing causal relationships, but such studies are rare in our field. Observational studies and sample surveys are more common; they also require appropriate design and analysis. More important than the design and analysis of individual studies is metareplication: replication of entire studies. Similar conclusions obtained from studies of the same phenomenon conducted under widely differing conditions will give us greater confidence in the generality of those findings than would any single study, however well designed and executed.

Additional Publication Details

Publication type:

Article

Publication Subtype:

Journal Article

Title:

The importance of replication in wildlife research

Series title:

Journal of Wildlife Management

Volume

66

Issue:

4

Year Published:

2002

Language:

English

Description:

p. 919-932

Larger Work Type:

Article

Larger Work Subtype:

Journal Article

Larger Work Title:

Journal of Wildlife Management

First page:

919

Last page:

932

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